Thomas McIntyre

As just about every character in Game of Thrones would say, "Winter is coming."

Rumor has it that readers living in Texas and similarly southern locales don't have to deal with snow. While I can't personally confirm that this is true, judging by all the rust-free classic cars down there I'm going to go ahead and say they might have some trouble answering this question. Nonetheless, proceed we will, as for those of us in the north might want to improve our winter driving for safety or performance reasons.

No matter what inspires you to become a more confident driver when the weather outside is frightful, one surefire way to improve your driving is to get a car with a manual transmission. I know, I know, this is the cure-all to Jalopnik woes (with good reason), but it's definitely true here. With a manual, you have total control over the power that's reaching your wheels and, by extension, the slippery surfaces below them. You can keep revs high or low as needed, and it makes rocking yourself out of a frozen parking place a lot easier.

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Moving beyond the most obvious and rewarding upgrade you can make to any automotive experience, what are other ways to improve the winter performance and safety of your car? Driving tips, modifications, and manifestos will all be accepted in the comments.

(QOTD is your chance to address the day's most pressing automotive questions and to experience the opinions of the insightful insiders, practicing pundits, and gleeful gearheads that make up the Jalopnik commentariat. If you've got a suggestion for a good Question of the Day, send an email to tips at jalopnik dot com.)